THE WATERFALLS

The Province of Misiones, in the centre of Mercosur, has more than a hundred waterfalls in an area of only 30,000 square kms. These valuable resources open up the possibility of advantages in terms of tourism and of energy, at the strategic crossroads of important highways linking Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.

There are various areas that form this wonderful nature reserve, and it is in the Cataratas Area where visitors get the best view of the waterfalls of the Iguazu River.

In the course of their visit, travellers will see the following falls: Floriano, Deodoro, Benjamin Constant, Union, Escondido, Mitre, Belgrano, Rivadavia, Tres Mosqueteros, Dos Mosqueteros, San Martin, Adan y Eva, Bozzetti, Ramirez, Chico, Dos Hermanos, Alvar Nuņez and the Devil's Throat Falls, among others.

These wonders of nature can be visited on foot or by boat, with walks above the imposing waterfalls themselves, which offer an incomparable spectacle.

Among the most noteworthy falls on the Argentine side are: Alvar Nuņez, on the Lower Circuit of the trip around the Park; the Lanusse, lower down on the Lower Circuit; and Dos Hermanas, Chico Alferez, Ramirez and Bossetti, all on the Upper Circuit, whose range in height goes from 40 to 60 meters.

The Salto Dos Hermanas has a natural pool formed by athe movement of the water in action, which is about eight m deep.

The Chico Alferez and the Bossetti split up in two, making an unforgettable show. It and refreshes spectators on the walkways with a cool, damp breeze.

Further up are the Mbigua, Adan y Eva, and the San Martin falls; the latter is a fall with a deafening roar, marveling us with its forceful plunge and forming a second fall lower down. The whole spectacle ends more than 70 m below, all blanketed under a pervasive spray that at times forms a rainbow, making a delicate contrast with the rest of the view.

Then, a little further up, you will find the Escondido, Dos Mosqueteros, Rivadavia, Peņon, and Mitre Waterfall, ending in the prodigious Union Fall, whose waters fall like an avalanche into the mighty Devil's Throat, from a height of nearly 80 meters, forming plumes of spray and steam that are sometimes visible from a distance of up to seven kilometers.

The Brazilian sector shares the Union Fall with Argentina, because the dividing line of the waters runs through it, other important falls to see in this area being the Benjamin Constant, Deodoro, Floriano and Santa Maria.

However, the one that takes all the prizes, without a shadow of doubt, is the Devil's Throat, whose sides are separated as if by a giant spade. The water of this fall, running down from its highest point, produces a stable deafening thunder that is choked off in the depths, and then flows out tamely a few kilometers further on in the River Parana.

Its size, together with the dimensions of the mass of water it carries during the rainy season, place it among the greatest and most spectacular waterfalls in the world: its width alone is four times that of the Niagara Falls in North America.